Lost in America (1985)
Director: Albert Brooks
Had I seen this before: No
First, in keeping with the general tone of this movie, an airing of grievances: the poster has Monument Valley in the background but it is not featured in the film at all. There is a distinct lack of sweeping views and total absence of guns or beans. It does spend the bulk of the movie in Arizona and have a very uncomfortable relationship with the idea of Native Americans, though, so we are not too far afield. Anyway, sometimes you embark on an adventure and think it's going to go a certain way and then things go off the rails almost immediately and all you can do is yell exasperatedly for the duration.
We're back in deep oh yikes is this what Boomers were like in their thirties? territory with this one, although this movie is certainly less sympathetic to its protagonists' flaws and more enthusiastic about punishing them at every turn than The Big Chill was. Even if you don't already know that the premise of the movie involves a cross-country road trip, it's immediately obvious that our main couple, David and Linda Howard (played by Albert Brooks and Julie Hagerty), are about to hit a crisis point in their orderly L.A. yuppie lives. They are in the midst of packing everything up for a big move to an expensive new house that they both seem ambivalent about at best, and in full existential crisis about at worst. Meanwhile, David is anxiously anticipating a basically guaranteed promotion, which of course in movie language means an absolutely not happening promotion. Feeling undervalued and bristling at the fact that Linda has just described him as "responsible" and no longer wanting to be trapped by his...I dunno, extremely comfortable life and significant material wealth I guess? David rage-quits, convinces Linda to do the same, cashes everything out, and buys a Winnebago.
The plan: drop out of society "like in Easy Rider." Now, I had not watched Easy Rider in a long time when I watched this film, but I was pretty sure I remembered that it did not end happily. (Spoiler for future blog posts I guess but I did immediately watch Easy Rider after this and: confirmed.) At first glance, this might seem like an odd template for ones life goals, but assuming David is the same age as Albert Brooks in real life, he would have been 22-years-old when he saw Easy Rider in the theater twelve years earlier and presumably not since. So it absolutely tracks that what he would be remembering is the feeling of being young and the beauty shots of wide open spaces and sleeping under the stars and the lack of less-qualified coworkers who steal your promotion and Mercedes Benz salesmen who become impatient while you ponder leather versus faux-leather interiors. He would not necessarily be remembering all the...other stuff that happens in that movie, which I will discuss anon.
To be clear, this is a comedy, and the movie knows that it is a funny and absurd choice. The preposterousness is underscored by the blaring "Born to Be Wild" as the Howards' gargantuan new vehicle sails down the highway and out of Los Angeles. Their first stop is Las Vegas, where they plan to renew their marriage vows as a way to kick off their brand new lease on life. I will say this--I genuinely appreciated that David's itchiness to escape the bonds of society does not include an itchiness to escape his spouse. The whole enterprise is a team effort from the start. It would actually be pretty infuriating if it were otherwise, considering how lovely Julie Hagerty is and how very tolerant her character is of David's whole thing. But I thought it was worth noting that, much like another misguided, hijinx-prone white dude with a penchant for the open road , David is a Wife Guy.
Which is actually going to be pretty crucial momentarily, as the stop in Vegas goes about as badly as a stop in Vegas can, barring prison or death. Whether or not you are likely to enjoy this movie largely depends on how you feel about Albert Brooks being neurotic and/or freaking out and/or attempting to talk his way out of bad situations. I suggest you watch the scene where he tries to negotiate with Garry Marshall's casino manager and gauge whether an extra 90 minutes of that sort of thing is for you. Mine was a household divided on the matter. It probably helps if you, like me, are generally delighted by Garry Marshall in part because of Paul F. Tompkins, whereas if you, like Dan, are under the impression that this might be a real casino manager without significant improvisational skills you might be left a little cold. (Regardless, you are likely to be left cold by the fact that David says not once but TWICE in this film that part of his dream is to "touch Indians." Ew, David!)
I won't tell you how long the Howards last on their quest to find themselves in the vastness of this nation, but I will say that it is less time than we personally spent on our road trip. And so they find themselves, inevitably, more or less where they started, because it turns out that who they are was yuppies all along.
Line I repeated quietly to myself: "I'm insane and responsible. This is a potent combination."
Is it under two hours: Yes
In conclusion: Not all of us were, in fact, born to be wild.
Microwave Grilled Cheese from Beeyond Cereal
I think the most 80s thing about this movie is the characters' incredible enthusiasm for microwave technology. The fact that their new Winnebago is outfitted with a microwave that has a "browning element" gives the Howards a real thrill. "Boy! I never really tasted melted cheese on toast before," David exclaims, when the trip is still fresh and the outstretched road is still promising. "I must have eaten it a million times but this is the first time I've really tasted it." I just have a regular microwave in a regular house that I can't drive around anywhere, so I had to get a toaster involved. I tasted the cheese, but only the normal amount.
Up next: Get your motor runnin'
